I messed the last two names up anyway

About Crying

Over the last year, my dad’s witnessed more of my breakdowns than anyone has probably witnessed in my lifetime. Either that, or there were more of them.

He was there for my numerous ones over French, the ones when Rapunzel broke up with me and whenever I called him up after I’d argued with mum and was calling myself a terrible person. He wasn’t there directly after my relationship with S ended but he’s seen the aftermath of that, how it’s affected me and when I sobbed on him because I had no other way to express my emotions. More importantly, he saw a breakdown which I had today – one of the worst, not for its intensity but rather the emotions that went along with it.

I went to “blind college” on Tuesday and “blind school” yesterday and today – the former to look around and the latter to go on a course about uni. Tomorrow, I’ll write a post about how that all went – it was great – but blind school affected me more because I cried last night and today, when I left, for a solid hour and a half.

There’s something about tears. They hurt now almost – because I’ve had difficulty expressing my thoughts and feelings, especially because I smash them down and then forget who I am – I feel guilty. Yesterday was both parts wonderful and shocking because I truly felt emotional – painful emotions but it was okay because for once, I could let them out freely.

I saw S for the first time since we went to Paris and I’d forgotten what it was like to be around him. Yesterday evening, after having come back from the evening’s activities, we went to the common room and talked. There, I spoke about how I’d been feeling – how I suppressed myself, how I acted differently around other people now, how I let others rule my emotions.

He brings out the actual me in myself without trying. There aren’t many people who can do that – and when you’re feeling like shit, to have someone say to your face that they care and that they always have makes you cry. It certainly did for me: I made some disparaging comments about my tears – “Oooh look, one’s falling down my face!” He didn’t try to fix me or make everything right in one sitting. Instead, he said it was up to me, whilst listening to me. It hit me then that he is somebody who truly gives a shit and even if he wouldn’t state it all the time, I know he does; he wouldn’t just turn round and say “Okay our years of friendship were cool but bye!” After I said that I hated how I presented this part of me to him every time I saw him, he said something along the lines of “You’re just sad-Elm right now and that’s okay – it’s who you are and don’t put up a fake front for others.”

After I left, I cried and felt absolutely wretched inside. My dad was there, holding my hand when he didn’t have to use both for driving. As I was unable to form words, he talked to me about everything really, listening when I could speak as I told him just how lonely I felt. The reason for that is that it’s almost foreign for me now to feel this level of emotion without numbing it: I’ve fucked up recently in terms of others and so almost feel like, sometimes, I shouldn’t let myself feel because I don’t have the right. S pretty much showed me that that was bullshit by taking the time to sit with me, understanding my paranoia but then telling me that the paranoia was unfounded.

Crying is strange. When you cry for the sake of it, it doesn’t hurt so much and leaves you feeling even worse. When you cry because all you feel is sadness and you can’t bloody breathe, afterwards, you feel an aching relief because things don’t burn so much – they’ve cooled to a dull roar. If your tears fall in a service station surrounded by people you don’t know, it’s quite therapeutic because no one tries to pressure you into telling them what’s wrong – the explanation would take a long time.

If you’re feeling awful or you’ve blocked your emotions, my best advice is to tell someone about them. Let them out. Let yourself cry like I did – like I may do later – until the skin under your eyes hurts, until the loneliness isn’t so high because someone’s there to reassure you that yourself is enough.

I’ve figured out that the people I most love and appreciate aren’t the ones who make you explain why you cry. They’re the ones who let you cry, let you explain and then show you that they’d do the same whenever you need it. They’re the ones who don’t try and stop your tears: they understand why they fall without needing a thesis on the reason.

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32 thoughts on “About Crying”

I hope you are doing okay, take it care! I can definitely relate to some of this. I’m normally so self concious crying in front of people but there are certain people who just wont judge and will patiently listen and wait and as you mentioned these people are truly the best.
Your Dad sounds like a great source of support.
It’s okay to go through bad times when you dont feel good and want to cry, sometimes it good to let it all out, all the emotions and pain.
Take care. 😊

I will! And you’re right: It feels better when I let it all out. My dad’s wonderful and so is S because they don’t give up on me and don’t leave; they’ve been here for so long. So have you guys – thank you! xx

Coincidentally, I just watched a science video about crying before I read this. The reason we feel so much better after crying is because crying makes you take deeper breaths and you actually release stress hormones through your tears. On another note, I really did love this post! I break down all the time when the pressure feels like too much.

I connected with this story on many levels. Truly inspiring. I always think about crying since I do it so much. This year has been really hard for me; and I don’t tell anyone except my followers on WordPress about it. I guess I’m not brave enough like you to let your dad know about the depression. I don’t think I ever will… but good for you. 🙂 xoxo

I think Elsa said it best. Let it go. Just let it go. All the fear, the pain, the anxiety. Everything. Express it in whichever way you wish, be it tears or singing or something ridiculous like, bungee jumping. Just let it go. Bottling up is a recipe for disaster; sometime you just have to cry. It’s cathartic. Feel better, Elm. 💕

Crying is the natural form of releasing pent up emotions, there’s nothing to be ashamed about if anything it’s crucial to live a happy life. And also can we just side note that dads are literally their daughter’s tissue. My dad is pretty much used to large weird rear patches on his shirts by now 😂
You’ll find a way through this 🙂
Gx

I really hope so 🙂 I just want these awful feelings to stop. But I’m so glad that I can help people along the way and let them know that they are not alone. Also it’s great that you’re here to understand and support me XX

This post was just amazing. The last paragraph really inspired me… It is so damn true, for god’s sake! I used to feel that I always needed a reason to cry, that I couldn’t do it just because, it was just one day I was with someone who has always supported me and we were having a conversation in which I said “I feel like I want to cry but I don’t know why” and I realized that we don’t need a reason, sometimes we just need to cry because we’ve been holding everything down for too long that it stops being just one reason.
I hope you’re doing okay! I want you to know that if you ever feel like it, you can come to me!

I hope you’re doing well, because I think you’re one of the strongest people I know (or don’t really know). You deserve the best and only you can make it happen. Hang in there and keep writing. Sending you love xx

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